Check writer



March 22, 1949.

J. KERTES CHECK WRITER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR. Jofizz Kertas' BY W a wk/2E J. KERTES CHECK WRITER March 22, 1949 s Sheet s-Sh eet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1946 INVENTOR. (fa/712 erzfea BY mm 29; 97W

Filed Au 21,1946 s Sheets-Sheet 5 CHECK WRITER INVENTOR. fifm Ker-tea Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES TNT OFFICE 19 Claims. 1 This invention relates to punching apparatus usable as a check protector, or protective check writer.

One object of the invention is to provide a check protector, or writer, which is accurate in.

its punching operation and in the alignment of its punching, which is simple and easy to operate, and which is of such simple and compact construction that it is particularly suitable for individual ownership and use throughout any of the variations in size and adaptation of which it is susceptible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a check protector, or writer, which provides means for aligning a check in position to receive a series of perforated digits and symbols, and which provides in conjoint assembly means for selectin positioning and aligning digits or symbols, and for moving a check through appropriately spaced intervals to receive such perforations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. check protector, or writer, having the abovenoted desirable properties, and which is so small and compact that it conveniently can be carried in a pocket or purse.

Still another object of the invention is to provide punching apparatus of the above-noted simple, compact and easily operable sort, which while primarily intended for theprotective writing of checks is capable of being used, or of obvious modification for use, in punching dates and for other punching operations.

In the accompanying drawings, exemplary of an embodiment of my invention:

Fig. I is an elevational view of my check protector, or writer.

Fig. 111 is a plan view of the check protector, or writer, witha check in position to be operated on thereby.

Fig. III is an elevation of the check writer with one side of the casing regionally removed to expose the operating elements within the casing.

Fig. IV is a cross-sectional View on an enlarged scale taken in the plane of the section line IV--IV of Fig. 1. means for moving the check, the presence of which is indicated in. Fig. I. being omitted and a check-retaining plate which is-hiddeninthe showing, of I being included.

Fig. V is a detail side elevation of the punching wheel of the check writer.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary horizontal sectional detail view through the punching wheel in the plane of the section line VI-VI of Fig. 111, showing the guiding element for the punching wheel inplan and in the same relative position. as in Fig. IV.

Fig. VII is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. VI, this view being in effect a regional. enlargement of a fragmentary portion of Fig. III.

Fig. VIII is a perspective detail view of the operating element which cooperates with the punching wheel to cause punching movement thereof and to return the wheel to inoperative position after punching.

Fig. IX is a detail plan view of the guide carriage which presents a check for punching at. properly spaced intervals to the punching wheel of the device.

Fig. X is a longitudinal sectional view through one element of the guide carriage taken in the plane of the section line X-X of Fig. IX.

Fig. XI is a bottom plan view of the check writer assembly showing the guide carriage extended in operative relation thereto.

Fig. XII is a fragmentary enlargement of the lower region of Fig. IV, showing in section the nested arrangement of the check-positioning elements. and the relation of a retaining plate which is secured to the bottom wall of the casing with the check positioning elements.

Fig. XIII is a bottom plan view, showing the true bottom wall of the casing with the retaining plate detached therefrom.

Fig. XHIa is a plan view showing. the retain.- ing plate of the assembly in relative alignment with the true bottom of the casing as shown, in Fig. XIII.

Fig. XIV is a view similar to Fig. I showing. a modification in the structure of a lever for moving the punching wheel of the device into punching position.

Fig. XV is a cross-sectional view through. the modified organization of Fig. XIV taken in the plane of the section line XV-XV of Fig.

The punching assembly of the apparatus com.- prises a punching wheel carrying peripherally thereof punching characters which is mounted for vertical movement in. the casing, means for rotating the punching wheel to bring a selected character on the wheel into punching positi0n,. operable means for moving the punching wheel. in the punching action, resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose movement of the punchingv wheel in its punching action, and means for guiding the travel of the punching wheel. in its. punching movement. Desirably and as herein. disclosed. the. punching assembly comprises also. means for indicating to a user the adjustment. of the punching wheel, and the resilient means acts to return the punching wheel. from the limit. of its punching movement to its adjusting position.

This assembly I further have organized insuch. way that the several necessary or desirable. functions are performed positively and with a high order of accuracy by elements which are so formed and interengaged that the overall dimen sions of the assembly are reduced to a minimum. In. the illustrated embodiment of my invention 3 the punching elements of the assembly are characters formed by spaced groups of perforating pins on the periphery of the punching wheel.

Specifically as shown in the accompanying drawings, reference numeral l designates the main body of the casing which may be formed of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. As shown, the smallest dimension of the casing is its transverse dimension, closely to embrace the unching wheel of the assembly and. to economize in the overall dimensions of the device. In both side walls la of the casing there are vertically elongate slots 2 through which project trunnions 3 centrally integrated with punching wheel 4. These trunnions 3 which project through slots in the casing side walls pass also through holes 6 in the legs 7a of a stirrup-form operating element 1. Trunnions 3 may be integrated with wheel 4 in any suitable manner as by being the terminals of a shaft keyed in the wheel or by being cast or pressed of one-piece with the wheel. Operating element 1 has an upper connecting portion lb between its legs la which is accessible from without the upper wall lb of the casing and its legs extend downwardly along the casing side walls la, to engage trunnions 3 of the punching wheel. Secured to the inner surface of the upper wall lb of the casing there is a flat spring 8 which exerts an upwardly directed force on the connecting portion lb of the stirrup-form operating element 1, at a window 8a in the upper wall of the casing.

In the punching action, pressure is exerted on operating element 1 to move it downwardly against the resistance of spring 8. In this downward movement the operating element by engagement of its legs with the trunnions of the punching wheel carries the punching wheel downwardly, this movement being permitted by the elongate form of the slots through which the trunnions project. The return movement is effected under the influence of spring 8 bearing upwardly against the cross member lb of the operating element.

In its structure punching wheel 4 may be made in any suitable manner and constructed of any suitable material, but as shown, is of solid construction such as results from the casting or pressing of aluminum or other suitable relatively light metal, metallic alloy or plastic. Along one peripheral edge, punchin wheel 4 is indented to provide a shoulder l having therein relatively shallow notches ll. Aligned with notches II, the adjacent side face of the wheel has therein radial slots it which extend to the peripheral face of the wheel and serve as guide slots for the punching movement in the manner which will be described.

On the periphery of the punching wheel and appropriately positioned thereon with respect to guide slots l2 there are a plurality of groups l3 of perforating pins, the pins of each group being arranged to form a digit, letter or symbol. The punching movement and return movement of wheel 4 are guided by means of an L-shaped resilient guide member l4, which is secured to the inner surface of the adjacent side wall la of the casing. The angularly extended leg, or flange, Ma of this flat resilient element rides on the shoulder ID of the punching wheel when the wheel is in its upward or adjusting position and successively and yieldingly engages notches l I in the shoulder of the wheel when the wheel is rotated. When rotation of the wheel ceases with the angular leg or flange l 4a in one of the notches ll, the wheel is directed upwardly or downwardly in a straight line by engagement of this leg, or flange, in the slot l2 of the wheel which is aligned with that notch.

It will be noted in Fig. I of the drawings that a disc I5 is applied to one of the trunnions 3 of the punching wheel and this disc, which serves as an indicator as well as means for rotating the punching wheel, carries both on its face and on its periphery a plurality of characters which may be digits, symbols or letters. Disc I5 is rigid with wheel 4, and the characters appearing on its face are so arranged with respect to the groups It of the pins on the periphery of the punching wheel that when one of those characters is in an indicated position, the corresponding group of pins for punching that character is in position to be effectively registered upon downward punching movement of wheel 4. In making the adjustment, disc I5 is rotated, rotating the punching wheel and this rotation from character to character is indicated by audible clicks and by yield-- ing resistance to rotation, as guiding flange l 4a of guide member l4 enters successive notches ll of the wheel. When disc l5 indicates that the proper character is presented for registry, downward pressure on operating element 7 performs the punching operation; the wheel being guided in its downward movement, as above described, by engagement of guide flange Met in the appropriate slot l2 of the punching wheel.

As shown in Fig. XIII of the drawings, the bottom Wall lc of the casing has a perforate grid It, the holes I! through which are so arranged as to permit the passage of the pins of all the several groups l3 carried on the periphery of the punching wheel, so that the pins projected through grid Hi can perforate a sheet of paper or the like which is presented for punching. A retaining plate 9 is secured adjacent one of its ends to the bottom wall of the casing and has its other end free, so that a piece of paper such as a check may be slipped between it and the bottom wall of the casing. This retaining plate has therein a grid 9a the perforations of which register with I the perforations of grid l6 formed in the bottom wall of the casing. In the punching operation the check, or other sheet of paper, lies between the bottom lc of the casing and the retaining plate 9. The perforating pins therefore pass through the perforations of grid H5 in the casing and into the perforations in grid 9a of the retaining plate. When the pins are retracted, rctaining plate 9 and its grid 9a counteract any tearing tendency which the pins otherwise might exert on the paper.

Retaining plate 9 serves to position the check, or other sheet of paper, for the punching operation. For check writing, however, and even for other punching operations, it is useful to provide means which assist the user in accurately determining the positioning of a line of punching which is to be made and in accurately spacing the punching of the individual characters. Such adjusting means consists primarily of a carriage comprising two main elements; which can be brought into nested relation between the bottom wall of the casing when the punching apparatus is not in use, and which can be opened out into a right-angular relation with each other to engage two adjacent edges of a check, or other sheet of paper, on which a punching operation is to be performed. These primary elements are so constructed and arranged that the check, or other sheet, can be adjusted step-by-stp along two paths at right angles to each other. Although this carriage organization is not essential to the punching apparatus, it is a highly useful feature as included in the apparatus assembly.

As shown in Figs. IX to XII inclusive, the adjusting is a carriage arranged to adjust a check or other sheet in two directions with respect to the path of movement of the character carried by the punching wheel. This carriage comprises a platen is in the form of a resilient plate, or strip, having along its longitudinal edges upstanding and inwardly deflected flanges l9 which engage the longitudinal edges of retaining plate ii, the platen thus having sliding movement along the cas ng. On its upper face platen It carries an upwardly extended boss 2!) which is in line with one or more longitudinally spaced indentations ill in retaining plate 9. Desirably the platen has one or more windows 22 adapted to be brought into register with grid 9a in retaining plate 13 and grid it in bottom wall lc of the casing, to provide for maximum projection of the character-punching pins through a sheet which is perforated.

The other primary element of the carriage comprises a resilient L-shaped channel 23 which is pivoted at it to platen it to be brought into parallelism with the platen or extended in rightangular relation therewith, and a resilient sheetengaging strip slide/hie in channel member 23. Strip Z is engaged for its sliding movement by flanges 26 and 2? upstanding along the longitudinal edges of channel 23. The low flange 26 of the channel is adapted to pass beneath platen l8 when member 23 i swung into nested parallelism with the platen. The high flange ii of channel 23 serves as a positioning stop vfor one edge of a sheet, which in check writing would be one of the long edges of the check; and the edge at right angles to the edge which abuts the flange, such as the short edge of a check, is engaged by a clip 28 at the outer end of the sliding strip, or bar 25. In writing a check the long edge of the check which abuts flange 2'5 of the channel 23 would be the lower edge of the check and the short end of the check which is en aged by clip 28 would be the edge at which the printed matter of the check begins, so that the check would be up-side-down as viewed in position with respect to Fig. IX of the drawings.

in order to adjust a check, or other sheet, stepby-step for punchin boss 28 extends upwardly from. the upper surface of the base portion of the channel in line with a plurality of longitudinally spaced indentations in the lower surface of sliding strip, or bar, 25. These indentations are spaced any desired distance between characters to be punched. Because each of the spaces defined by the position of indentations 3t determines the spacing between the characters as punched, it is desirable to as many such spaced indentations as possible in order to provide definite spacings for a relatively great num ber of characters. For this reason the inner end of sliding strip, or bar, slotted at 3| so that the strip will straddle pivot E e in passing beneath platen it, when channel member 23 has been swung into right angular relation therewith. With this specific organization of parts, the starting position at which the initial character is punched definable by abutment of sliding strip 25 with pivot 2d at the forward end of slot 3!. From that position, the sliding strip, or bar, can be moved outwardly step-by-step.

Primarily inorder that the carriage as a whole may rest uniformly on a fiat surface, the down- :1 casing.

ward extension of channel member 23 below the plane of the lower surface of platen I8 is compensated by elongate downward'extensions, which desirably are embossments 32 in the base of the channel member. These embossments 32 extend downwardly to the plane of the lower surface of channel 23, and in order that the members of the carriage may fit neatly in their nested posi tions, corresponding elongate slots 33 conforming in their dimensions to the dimensions of embossments 32 are provided in sliding strip 25. When therefore member 23 is swung into nested position, einbossments 32 snap into these slots 33 so that the smoothness of the nested arrangement is preserved and positive engagement between the members is provided.

Assuming that the apparatus is being used to perform a punching operation such as the protective w ting of a check and that the two-element carriage is omitted from the assembly, the check is slipped in between retaining plate 9 and the bottom wall ie of the casing. It then is adjusted by eye both transversely and longitudinally with respect to the apparatus for punching the first character which is selected. Thereafter longitudinal adjustment can be performed by eye as successive characters are selected and printed. By practice, considerable accuracy in spacing for the punching of sequential characters in this manner can be attained by the user. The two-part carriage is, however, a great convenience when applied and used in the punching operation. It may be noted that the carriage is readily detachable from and attachable to the punching apparatus proper and that it may therefore be supplied as a part of the apparatus assembly and either used or disregarded as the user of the apparatus may elect.

When the carriage is applied for use, the carriage element which comprises channel 23 and sliding strip or bar 25 is swung on pivot 24 into a right angular relation with the other carriage element which has been herein termed a platen and which lies along the bottom wall of the Assuming that it is a check on which the punching operation is to be performed, the check is inserted transversely between the bottom wall of the casing and retaining plate 9, and platen is is moved, carrying element 23 with it until the high flange Z'l of the element lies against the adjacent longitudinal edge of the check. The check is shifted longitudinally until one of end edg is engaged under clip 28 at the outer end of sliding strip 25. The lateral posit-ion having been determined by adjustment of the carriage along the bottom of the casing by engagement of carriage element ill with retainin plate 9, that adjustment which determines the lateral position of the line of punching need not be disturbed during the punching operation. As the punching proceeds, sliding strip 25 is pulled out by hand step-by-step through the spaces defined by engagement of boss 25! in successive indentations an of the sliding strip, between. the punching of sequential selected characters. It may be noted that if the. matter on the face of the check permits, it is desirable to punch the first character in series on the check with sliding strip 25 fully retracted into abutment with pivot 24.

It readily will be seen that these adjustments give accurate predetermined spacing between characters as well as positioning of the line of punching in the appropriate region of the check. The lateral spacing of the line oi'punching is obtainable even though the sliding strip forming a part of the angularly extended element of the carriage should be lost or destroyed. This lateral adjustment is efiected, as above indicated, by sliding carriage element, or platen, l8 along retaining plate 9 into positions which may be defined by engagement of its boss 29 in successive indentations 2i of the retaining plate, automatically to position the check with the lateral region thereof on which punching is to be done in line with the grids which accommodate the perforating pin issue in the punching action.

Modification in the form and arrangement of the lever and its associated resilient means which provide vertical movement of the punching wheel, is shown in Figs. XIV and XV of the drawings. As shown in this modification, the lever which engages the trunnions of the punching wheel is of general bell-crank form, having legs 34 which are pivoted at 35 to the side walls 36a of the casing 33, and a connecting portion 31 interconnecting legs 34. In punching, the distal end of the lever is depressed to swing the lever about its pivot point 35 and to bear downwardly on the trunnions of the punching wheel. Swinging movement of the lever is opposed by a conical coiled spring 38 carried by supporting structure 39, to exert an upwardly directed force on the cross portion 31 of the lever. A sliding stop 40 which lies along upper wall 361) of the casing partially overlies the connecting portion 37 of the lever to limit its upward movement. All the elements of this modified structure except the lever for the punching wheel and its associated resilient element, may be and are to be considered as identical with corresponding parts shown in Figs. I and XIII inclusive of the drawings.

It thus readily will be understood that the illustration and description of the structure herein disclosed are exemplary of the embodiment of my invention and numerous modifications in the form and arrangement of parts being possible without departing from the spirit of that invention, my invention herein is to be restricted only by the limitations contained in the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein,

single means in said casing arranged cooperatively with the said wheel to engage the wheel against rotation and to guide the punching movement thereof and perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel.

2. In a manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, single means arranged to be engaged by said Wheel in the punching movement thereof to hold the said wheel against rotation and accurately to guide the wheel in its said punching movement and perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel.

3. In a manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged cooperatively with the wheel to deter the wheel against rotation and to guide the wheel in its said punching movement.

4. In a manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, single means arranged to be engaged with said wheel in the punching movement thereof to deter rotation of the wheel and to guide punching movement of the Wheel, and resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the wheel of engagement with the said guiding means for adjusting rotation of the wheel.

5. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straightline punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged to engage with the wheel to deter rotation of the wheel and to guide punching movement of the wheel, and resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the Wheel of engagement with the said guiding element for adjusting rotation of the wheel.

6. In a manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straightdine punching movement therein, sin le means arranged to be engaged with said wheel in the punching movement thereof to deter rotation of the wheel and to guide punching movement of the wheel, resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the wheel of engagement with the said guiding means for adjusting rotation of the Wheel, and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing and arranged to position a sheet in line with the path of punching movement of said punching wheel.

7. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement in said casing, guiding means in said casing arranged cooperatively with the said wheel to engage the wheel against rotation and to define the path of punching movement thereof, and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing comprising a carriage providing adjustment of a sheet in two mutually rightangular directions with respect to the path of punching movement of the said punching wheel.

8. A manually-operable self-contained punching apparatus comprising a casing, a punching assembly in the said casing including a wheel mounted in the casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged to engage with the wheel to deter rotation of the wheei and to guide punching movement thereof, and resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the wheel of engagement with the said guiding element for adjusting rotation of the wheel.

9. A manually-operable self-contained punching apparatus comprising a casing, a punching assembly in the said casing including a wheel mounted in the casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged to engage with the wheel to deter rotation of the wheel and to guide punching movement thereof, resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the wheel of engagement with the said guiding element for adjusting rotation of the wheel, and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing comprising a carriage providing adjustment of a sheet in two mutually right-angular directions with respect to the path of punching movement of the said punching wheel.

10. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, single means in said casing arranged cooperatively with the said wheel to engage the wheel against rotation and to guide the punching movement thereof, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel,

a sheet engaging member carried by said casing the base thereof to retain a sheet at the base or" the casing, and matching grids in the base of the casing and in said positioning member arin the path of punching movement of the wheel to receive between them a group of said perforating pins in punching action of the punchwheel,

11. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, single means arranged to be engaged by said wheel in the punching movement thereof to hold the said wheel against rotation and accurately to guide the wheel in its punching movement, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel, a sheet engaging member carried by said casing at the base thereof to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, and matching grids in the base of the casing and in said positioning member arranged in the path of punching movement of the said wheel to receive between them a group of said perforating pins in punching action of the punching wheel.

12. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a punchin wheel mounted in casing for adjustin rotation and straightline punching movement therein, single means arranged to be engaged with said wheel in the punching movement thereof to deter rotation of the wheel and to guide punching movement of the wheel, resilient means arranged yieldingly to oppose punching movement of the wheel and to free the wheel of engagement with the said guiding means for adjusting rotation of the wheel, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel, a sheet engaging member carried by said casing at the base thereof to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, and matching grids in the base of the casing and in said positioning member arranged in the path of punching movement of the said wheel to receive between them a group of said perforating pins in punching action of the punching wheel.

13. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guidin element positioned in the path of rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged cooperatively with the wheel to deter the Wheel against rotation and to guide the wheel in its said punching movement, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel, a sheet engaging member carried by said casing at the base thereof to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, and matchin grids in the base of the casing and in said positioning member arranged in the path of punching movement of the said wheel to receive between them a group of said perforating pins in printing action of the punching wheel.

14. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mountedin said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line printing movement therein, guiding means in said casing arranged cooperatively with the said wheel to engage the wheel against rotation and to guide the punching movement thereof, andsheeupositicning means carried by said casing comprising a sheet-engagin member arranged to retain a sheet at the base of the casing and a sheet-adjusting carriage movable with respect to the casing to adjust a sheet therealong with respect to the path of movement of the punching wheel in the casing.

15. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path or rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged cooperatively with the wheel to deter the wheel against rotation and to guide the wheel in its said punching movement, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said punching wheel,

t and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing comprising a sheet engaging member arranged to retain a sheet at the base of the casing and a sheet-adjusting carriage movable with respect to the casing to adjust a sheet therealong with respect to the path of movement of the punching wheel in the casing.

16. In manually-Operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, guiding means in said casing arranged cooperatively with the said wheel to engage the Wheel against rotation and to guide the punching movement thereof, and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing comprising a sheet-engaging member arranged to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, and a sheet-adjusting carriage comprising sheet carrying members movable in two mutually right-angular directions with respect to the casing to adjust a sheet with respect to the path of movement of the said punching wheel,

17. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged cooperatively with the wheel to deter the wheel against rotation and to guide the Wheel in its said punching movement, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said punching wheel, and sheet-positioning means carried by said casing comprising a sheet-engaging member arranged to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, and a sheet-adjusting carriage comprising sheet carrying members movable in two mutually right-angular directions with respect to the casing to adjust a sheet with 11 respect to the path of movement of the said punching wheel.

18. In manually-operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel mounted in said casing for adjusting rotation and straight-line punching movement therein, a resilient guiding element positioned in the path of rotation and the path of punching movement of said wheel and arranged cooperatively with the wheel to deter the Wheel against rotation and to guide the wheel in its said punching movement, perforating pins mounted in groups forming punching characters peripherally of said wheel, a sheet engaging member carried by said casing at the base thereof to retain a sheet at the base of the casing, matching grids in the base of the casing and in said positioning member arranged in the path of punching movement of the said wheel to receive between them a group of said perforating pins in punching action of the punching wheel, and a sheet-adjusting carriage comprising sheet carrying members movable in two mutually right-angular directions with respect to the casing to adjust a sheet with respect to the path of movement of the said punching wheel.

19. In a manually operable punching apparatus the combination of a casing, a punching wheel, means mounting said wheel in said casing ment of said wheel, a guiding element fixedly mounted on said casing in selective alignment with said guiding ways and arranged to enter and ride in said ways to guide and prevent rotation of said wheel during its straight-line punching movement, and a perforated support associated with said casing and spaced below said pins and guiding element and adapted to receive said pins in their punching movement.

JOHN KER'I'ES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 226,962 Berger Apr. 27, 1880 447,089 Von Brandis Feb. 24, 1891 1,978,849 Ulfeng Oct. 30, 1934 

